Many people on this forum have mentioned "BrainWave Generator" (or Bwgen). This program uses binaural beats to lower your own mind's brainwaves towards the binaural beat frequencies. This technique can quickly induce altered states of minds such as lucid dreaming. It may be hard to use Bwgen as an induction technique alone, so it is often used in conjunction with VILDs, WILDs and MILDs. First, I will explain the science behind this program to help you use it effectively.

1.2 Binaural Beats

Binaural beats are an interesting phenomenon, discovered by a German scientist called H.W. Dove. He realised that it was impossible to hear sounds with a frequency lower than about 20Hz. It was already known that frequencies lower than 20Hz could produce interesting effects in the brain. Dove discovered that if you play a sound of an audible frequency in one ear, and a sound of a different, but equally audible, frequency in the other, the brain would decipher the sound as the difference between the two sounds. I.e., if the left ear heard a sound of 500Hz, and the right a sound of 510Hz, the brain would hear (from inside the brain) a sound of 10Hz, thus being able to produce altered mind states.

The reason low frequency sound (and some EM waves) can induce altered states of mind is because the frequencies become close to our own, naturally produced, brainwaves. In doing so our brain starts to conform towards this external frequency, and we can exploit this. To take full advantage of binaural beats, we need to know the traits and behaviors of each brainwave frequency.

1.3 The Brainwave States

Each brainwave corresponds to a certain state; Beta, Alpha, Theta or Delta. Each state produces an effect on the brain, Here are the four states and their boundaries:

Beta (40 - 13Hz): Associated with heightened states of consciousness, such as mental tasks, active conversation & playing sports.

Alpha (12 - 8Hz): A state of relaxed mental awareness, daydreaming or reflection.

Theta (7 - 4Hz): The Theta state is one of deep relaxation or meditation. Theta is also present during dreaming, and R.E.M sleep. Meditation at these frequencies can be used for sleep reduction. The body needs this state for overall well-being

Delta (4 - 0.1Hz): Delta brainwaves are present during deep sleep. Delta frequencies are almost never present while conscious, although deep meditation or self-hypnosis can induce conscious Delta. The repairing and rejuvenation of the body is known to take place at Delta frequencies; the Human Growth Hormone, HGH, has been found to be released in this state.

2.1 Using Bwgen

Bwgen is a relatively easy to use, but effective program. You can buy it at www.bwgen.com (not that I like to advertise), although there are many cracks widely available on the web. Take note that you can create your own preset using the demo version of Bwgen, which can be downloaded for free at the same website. Here I will go through a step-by-step guide to creating a Bwgen preset for lucid dream induction.

Firstly, for lucid dreaming, you want to enter a low Theta state, around 4-5Hz. Select this on the "Binaural beat frequency" area of the "Preset options" tab. Next, you need to choose the audible pitch of each sound. Note, when you select the audible pitch, you do not hear that exact frequency, the frequency you select will be the centering frequency, I.e. when you select 500Hz, for a 5Hz binaural beat, you will hear 497.5Hz in the left ear, and 502.5Hz in the right. The best audible pitch corresponds to "Oster's curve" a graph plotted from experimental data. In A.1 of the Appendix you can find data taken from the graph in written form. Once you have found the optimal carrier frequency (audible pitch), you can select it under the "Audible pitch" area.

The most effective way to entrain to any frequency is to descend from a frequency already present in the brain at the time. While awake frequencies of 25-15Hz will most likely be dominant. To create a section like this, select "add", under "segments", and make you have it before the main section by selecting "move up" (you could of course create the descent first, but it makes more sense to me to create the main section first).

Start your descent from between 25-15Hz and let it decline for 15 minutes till it reaches your desired frequency. To enhance the effect of the descent you might want to add a plateau every few minutes (this can increase the time it takes to complete the section, but in my opinion, it is worth it).

There are many useful Presets already out there, most of which are available in the "preset library" at www.bwgen.com. For more information on them see A.2 of the Appendix.

2.2 Combination Techniques and Induction Methods

Once you have a working and effective preset, you will probably need to use techniques alongside the preset for effective results. Think of Bwgen as an anaesthetic: it will force your body to sleep while you can use your mind to induce a lucid dream. Here I will go through each technique in detail.

WILD

WILDing is often considered to be the hardest technique to master, but with Bwgen it can become relatively easy. Generally, the simpler methods become the most effective in this situation, as Bwgen does all the relaxation (physically) for you.

I will outline a WILDing method I believe is the most effective. It is not so much a single technique as a potent mixture of techniques:

Firstly, start to cycle through your body parts, start to feel your forehead, your throat, Right shoulder, right elbow, right wrist, tip of right thumb, tip of right index finger, tip of right middle finger, tip of right ring finger, tip of right little finger, right wrist, right elbow, right shoulder and throat;

Now your left shoulder, left elbow, left wrist, tip of left thumb, tip of left index finger, tip of left middle finger, tip of left ring finger, tip of left little finger, left wrist, left elbow and left shoulder;

Now feel your right hip, right knee, right ankle, tip of the right big toe, tip of the right second toe, tip of the right middle toe, tip of the right fourth toe, tip of the right little toe, right ankle, right knee, right hip, lower abdomen;

Then your left hip, left knee, left ankle, tip of the left big toe, tip of the left second toe, tip of the left middle toe, tip of the left fourth toe, tip of the left little toe, left ankle, left knee, left hip;

After you have finished the cycle, you may repeat the process or continue.

Next, imagine that you are slowly walking down (or up) a massive staircase. This staircase can be any style or shape you like. Don't just think of what you see, but also imagine the smell, the sounds, and what you feel. Imagine this scenario taking place in front of you eyes, not just in your mind (although remember not to actually open your eyes). Imagine the stairs with numbers on them. As you reach each stair notice which number of stair you are on. Imagine that far, far below at the bottom (or top) of the staircase, there is a dream world, filled with whatever you wish. As you go on you slowly become enveloped by this world, and soon enough you can interact with this world. You are in your dream!

MILD

This technique is simple: repeat you're desired mantra while listening, and let yourself relax into your sleep as you repeat it. Remember that a mantra should be short, positive and in the first person. A good mantra would be: "When I dream, I will realize I'm dreaming", or "When I'm in my dream, I will wake up". These mantras follow the three rules.

While you're repeating this mantra, you may want to visualize a scene in which your mantra comes true. You could visualize yourself flying in a dream then waking up and realizing that, in fact, you are dreaming.

VILD

This technique seems to me almost made for use with Bwgen. It takes a bit of forward planning, so we will start there. First off, think of a scenario in which you do an RC, and then become lucid. This scenario should quite short and easy to repeat exactly.

Now that you have a scenario, start playing this scene through in your mind, imagining all your senses being used. Again, see it through you closed eyes. Keep repeating the same scene, in which you do an RC and become lucid. Eventually, you should fall asleep within this scenario and, of course, you will do the RC and become lucid!

Appendix

A.1 Data From "Oster's Curve"

The "Oster's Curve" is a graph plotted by Gerald Oster that contains data as to which audible pitch is most effective at carrying binaural beats. This data is used to find the most effective way to entrian towards the desired frequency. For example, if you want to entrain to a binaural beat of 5Hz the optimimum carrier frequency, that is the frequency which you actually hear, would be around 780Hz or 180Hz. Bwgen does not use this information automatically, you have to enter the carrier frequency into the "audbile pitch" area under "preset options". The data from the graph is as follows:

Here I will share my personal view of which presets are worth having. For those who do not have a registered version of Bwgen, I will go through the preset options of the best few so you can program them in without paying to download them.

Sleep Reducer: although not designed for lucid dreaming, it is a very effective Theta preset, and is great for LDing. Here are the preset options:
Voice 1:

Concious Theta Experience: This preset series is very effective at inducing a Theta brainwave state. Unfortunately their preset options are too complicated for me to share here but you can download concious theta experience one, two, three, and four.

Deep Yoga Meditation: This preset borders on the Theta-Delta boundary; I am not sure whether this is helpful or detrimental but personally I find it an effective preset. The preset options are as follows:

The first 6 voices use the same binaural beat frequencies; 4.0Hz till 19.47mins, 4-2Hz to 24.33Hz, then 2Hz to 73mins. But the audible frequency is different:

Each voice has two frequencies; the first for 19.47mins, then lowers to the second, the descent finishing at 24.68, then that frequency continues to the end at 73mins.

The second group of voices (7-9) have both a binaural beat and an audible pitch of 55Hz

Voice 10 has the same binaural beat as the first 6 voices, and an audible pitch of 110Hz.

Noise:
volume: 100%
Smoothness: 92%

Deep Theta: Deep theta is my own preset, created using the "Triangular Binaural Beat" technique (see appendix A.3), I believe it to be the most effective of all the preset mentioned. You can download it [url=http://bwgen.tehforums.com/attachment.php?s=7e25 3ae5e84759c30aa4c8b8d55a4e08&attachmentid=31
]here[/url].

A.3 The "Triangular Binaural Beat" Preset Building Technique

If you want your presets to pack an extra punch, then follow this technique I created when making your own presets:

Firstly, you choose the desired binaural beat for your preset. For example you may want a preset to help you sleep, so you may choose a binaural beat of 1Hz.

Now you should choose a pitch based at 150Hz, so for a 1Hz binaural beat you should select 149.5Hz for the left ear and 150.5 for the right. This creates a binaural beat of 1Hz centring around 150Hz.

If you chose a different desired binaural beat then this would differ, e.g. a binaural beat of 5Hz would have 147.5Hz in the left and 152.5Hz in the right.

Now create a second voice and choose the "set left/right separately" box once more. This time select a frequency of 148.5Hz in the right ear and a frequency of 0Hz in the left. This creates another binaural beat of 1Hz between the left ear of the first voice and the right ear of the second.

Again if you choose a different binaural beat this will be different. Using the 5Hz example, you would have 142.5Hz in the right ear and 0Hz in the left. The 0Hz frequency for the left ear is not utilized to create a binaural beat but is to stop any sound from that voice.

Repeat this process with the audible pitches centering 100-150Hz apart going up to anywhere < 1000Hz (this is thought to be the limit for binaural beats).
e.g. 150Hz, 300Hz, 450Hz, 600Hz, 750Hz, 900Hz
The end result is multiple voices with a binaural beat of either 1Hz (or whichever you choose) or of over 100Hz (in which case it is too higher binaural beat to affect the preset).

So that's it, everything you need to know about inducing lucid dreams using Bwgen. I hope this helps a lot of people who haven't succeeded with other techniques to become lucid.

Written by Philip Hall (philthemn). With many thanks to r3m0t and pasQuale for proofreading and help with formatting.